The competition entry for the Hercules monument visitor center in Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, Germany, designed by Achim Menges and Scheffler + Partner Architects, is located at the 515 meters high peak of a major baroque sight axis, between Kassel Wilhelmshöhe Palace, a 250m long water cascade and the 71m tall Hercules monument designed by Francesco Guerniero.
As the historical background of the site is very complex, it suggested an in-folding of the park, in order to articulate the interior landscape, an artificial underground substitute for nature which enables smooth transition from the natural surroundings of Habichtswald to the baroque park and monument. However, architects in charge for the design, instead or directly relating the competition brief to specific spatial entities that would more easily answer the programmatic and volumetric requirements, decided to provide an interior environment that consists of various micro-ambients. Read the rest of this entry »